Pelagics
Boothbay Harbor Boat Trips with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises
Whale-Puffin Cruise
June and July 2027 TBA
9:00am
Cost -
Derek will be onboard for this special Whale Watch & Puffin Combo Cruise. The itinerary will include a visit to Eastern Egg Rock as well as whale feeding grounds. Nesting colonies and pelagic sightings will be highlighted. Around EER at this time we can expect to find Atlantic Puffins, Common Terns, Arctic Terns, Roseate Terns, Laughing Gulls, Double-Crested Cormorants, Common Eider, Black Guillemots, with a chance of Razorbill and Common Murre. Off-shore sightings may include Northern Gannets, up to 4 species of Shearwaters (Great, Sooty, Cory's, and Manx), and Wilson's Storm Petrels. Sorry, no chumming this time.
*Note: The tickets link above takes you to the general calendar. Make sure you choose the correct cruise type, date and time slot.*
Half-day Pelagic
October 2027 TBA
9:00am
Cost -
Join us on a special cruise dedicated to off-shore birding: a collaboration with Cap'n Fish's Cruises offering half-day “mini-pelagics!” We'll seek out the rare and common seabirds that occur in our nearshore waters, but we will always have the hope for something unexpected. Derek will team up with the boat's expert naturalists to spot, identify, and point out pelagic seabirds. Chumming efforts will provide opportunities to attract the birds in for better photo ops and viewing. While we’ll stop to look at any whales and whatever other interesting sea life we encounter along the way, it is the feathered wildlife we’re searching for, and will be focused on.
This annual fall excursion gives a chance at some very sought after pelagic species, such as Great and South Polar Skua. More likely species include Northern Fulmar; Black-legged Kittiwake; Pomarine and Parasitic Jaeger; shearwaters – Great, Sooty, Cory’s, and possibly even Manx; Leach’s Storm-Petrel; Razorbill and Atlantic Puffin; Red and Red-necked Phalaropes, and much more. And we always hope for more jaegers, and there's always the chance for South Polar and perhaps even Great Skua.
Each of the three October trips have been very different, with each year providing some unexpected highlights. In 2020 it was 3 amazing sightings of Leach’s Storm-Petrels. The epic 2021 tour produced a stunning breeding plumaged Pacific Loon and a South Polar Skua, while 2025 was another one to remember, featuring fulmars, passerines, puffins, and even a hunting Peregrine Falcon offshore! Full trip reports and species lists can be found here: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
Once again, we will be chumming at at least one hotspot, and we'll have an additional spotter who will keep dedicated eBird lists for those who so desire and want it shared with them.
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We’ll leave the dock promptly at each trip's departure time for a 4-5 hour trip. Snacks and beverages are available for purchase, but you are welcome to pack your own food and water. Be prepared for light rain or showers, and bring plenty of layers for staying comfortable outside. Likewise, with any boat trip, weather cancellations for wind or waves (especially in fall) are always possible.
Registration is through Cap’n Fish, which can be made online at the 'Tickets" link above, or by calling 207-613-7339.
All other information can be found here, including directions, parking, and boat information: https://www.boothbayboattrips.com/faq/